So… this list is going to require a lot of caveats. The films that have won the Best Documentary Academy Awards are an eclectic bunch, but tend to fall into a few major categories, and I wanted all of them represented - music films, nature films, biographies, histories, war films, exposes, and current events. Of course, there's a lot of crossover.
I also have significant biases regarding some of the subject matter, despite my doing my best to be objective about the quality of the films below. Frankly, though many of these films are vital and important, they can be difficult to watch. If this were a list of my favorite Best Documentary winners, it would be a list of all the music documentaries and a few biographies of artists and performers. The list below is unranked, and ordered by release date.
The Sea Around Us (1952) - Based on the book by biologist and environmentalist Rachel Carson, Irwin Allen's ocean documentary offers stunning views of marine life, coastal habitats, and fragile ecosystems. The format of the film is old fashioned and education oriented, as most documentaries were in this era, but the content remains engrossing. I was especially struck by the way it closed on a warning about climate change - already a concern in 1952.
The War Game (1966) - A game-changer at the time of its release, "The War Game" is better described as a partially fictional film made in the documentary style. Sections of it are made up of accounts of a hypothetical nuclear war and the consequences of it faced by everyday British citizens. However, many of the dramatizations are based on real governmental positions and policies. A whole genre of nuclear war fiction can be traced back to this film.
Woodstock (1970) - "Woodstock" is here to represent all the music films and films about musicians. The legendary concert film was a box office smash, and nominated for Best Editing and Best Sound along with winning Best Documentary. It played a huge part in popularizing and adding to the mythology of Woodstock as a major event in American culture. You simply can't beat the lineup, or the sight of Jimi Hendrix becoming an icon in the finale.
Hearts and Minds (1974) - A sobering accounting of American involvement in the Vietnam War, that some have called propaganda. However, plenty of propaganda has won awards in this category, and it seems fair that an anti-war film that doesn't paint the United States military in the best light should also have its say. Everything about "Hearts and Minds" was incredibly controversial in its day, so my kudos to the Academy for their guts in giving it the statuette.
Harlan County, USA (1976) - It was very difficult to choose between this film and Barbara Kopple's other documentary about a labor strike, "American Dream." I ultimately went with "Harlan County" because of its historical importance and influence. The film captures a miners' strike from all angles, and in the process captures the spirit of the affected communities as they existed in this era. Nobody could dream up some of the characters we meet in this film.
Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989) - This one took me by surprise, as it's a very simple, low-key film that simply seeks to humanize AIDS patients through a series of memorials by their loved ones. Director and activist Rob Epstein had previously won for "The Times of Harvey Milk," and here covers the history of the AIDS crisis and the NAMES Project in very personal and empathetic terms. Also, I want to highlight the excellent score by Bobby McFerrin.
When We Were Kings (1996) - I only knew Muhammad Ali by reputation, having been born well after his heyday, and it was so gratifying to get an up-close and personal look at the boxer in his prime. The subject of the documentary is the 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" match between Ali and George Foreman, but Ali is the star attraction. It's made very clear why the man had such an outsized influence on American culture, and the film offers plenty of him.
Bowling for Columbine (2002) - Whatever you think about Michael Moore, his politics, or his methods, he made a fantastic film about American gun violence, with the Columbine high school shooting as a focal point. The film says less about the killers and their motives than it does about the dangers of American gun culture, and that's exactly as it should be. Moore's interviews with Charlton Heston and Marilyn Manson remain especially indelible.
Taxi to the Dark Side (2007) - I should disclose that current events definitely influenced this pick. Alex Gibney's wrenching deep dive into the use of torture on Afghan detainees and others during the War on Terror is one of the most upsetting, but most important films about the modern American military. Of all the lessons that it imparts, the most important one is this - the guards and the lowest level wrongdoers were the only ones who ever saw consequences.
O.J.: Made in America (2016) - Finally, of all the biographies and sports films in this category, the one that went above and beyond was Ezra Edelman's massive four hour examination of O.J. Simpson. It offers so much context for the public's fascination with his criminal case, from charting his rise as a black sports hero, to the racial upheaval in Los Angeles at the time of his arrest. I lived through the events, but didn't really understand them until this film.
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